All You Need To Know About All Aboard
Since 1987, All Aboard has raised in excess of £3million for these charities and has consistently made it on to Time Out’s charity shop top 10 list.
With cafés and charity shops dominating most high streets, lattes and looking for a great bargain is what shopping is all about. And there at the helm of the bargains and unexpected treasure finds sits All Aboard,
a chain of 18 charity shops that raise funds for more than 60 UK registered charities.
Through its monetary donations, it has provided hospital equipment, outings and respite care for terminally ill children, research projects, and learning programmes, as well as contributing towards residential care for the elderly.
Since 1987, All Aboard has raised in excess of £3million for these charities and has consistently made it on to Time Out’s charity shop top 10 list.
Over to ebay?
All Aboard shops are a haven for knick knacks and a likely location for donated designer items by Dior and Miu Miu, but you don’t have to purchase in person. The charity’s eBay shop goes from strength to strength, with continued growth on the global market and customers from all over the world choosing to buy from its wide range of high value, collectable and desirable items.
Some online buyers are one-off customers, but All Aboard is seeing more and more become regular shoppers, showing their appreciation via the site’s 100% positive feedback for excellent customer service and stock quality. The great stock available is thanks to the huge support shown by its donors and whom they could not do without.
Some recent success on the eBay shop includes the sale of an Etro jacket for £250, a Lalique ornament for £50, an 18K gold watch for £299 and a Missoni cashmere cardigan for £120.
The online team often receives personal messages of thanks from buyers and requests, as in the case of memorable customer, Lara, who sent a heartfelt plea to find a replacement dream wedding dress. Lara had been to a Jenny Packham sample sale and, after finding her dress tried it on, only for it to be snatched away in the chaos from her dressing room by a sales assistant who promptly sold it to another customer. All Aboard was able to give Lara’s story a happy ending, when staff found the Jenny Packham ‘Anise’ wedding dress she wanted.
All Aboard is keen to keep quality donations coming and notably the more unusual items worthy of an auction. This will happen on 15 November, when a beautiful and rare, limited edition copy of a Haggadah, estimated to sell at £12,000 to £18,000, goes under the hammer at Bonhams and it is already creating huge interest.
All Aboard is always on the lookout for more volunteers to join its eBay team; the more help received the more can be made for the charity. No experience is necessary as on the job training is given. You just need to have an interest in sales and attention to detail is required.
Please call head office for more information on donating items for eBay and volunteering, on 020 8381 1717.
Up They Popped
Kings Cross was once again the setting for the bi-annual Classic Car Boot Fair on 9 and 10 September and All Aboard’s pop up returned with a fabulous collection of vintage and contemporary items. Taking more than £2,000 – not bad for two days’ work – many of All Aboard’s regular customers and followers came to say hello, including a celebrity and his family who donate to the East Finchley branch all the time. Embroidered shoes, pink hats, family board games and paintings, as well as clothes to suit all tastes contributed to eye-catching stalls that did not want for attention. Don’t miss it next year.
Run, Run as Fast as You Can
The Maccabi GB Community Fun Run (MGB CFR) lived up to its name as the largest Jewish event in the UK as more than 6,500 members of the community descended on Allianz Park Sports Stadium in June. A fantastic 2,500 people participated in the running events to raise funds for over 75 Jewish charities and schools, with an incredible 4,000 spectators cheering them on from the stands.
All Aboard raised over £4,500, with CEO Alan Haynes competing in all three events (10km, 5km, 1km), along with six other members of staff and supporters who ran and walked for All Aboard.
As well as cheering on their family and friends, the 4,000 spectators took part in the Fun Zone, where there was bandana making, bungee trampolines and an inflatable assault course. They also discovered more about the charities and schools they were raising funds for by visiting them in the Charity Fair.
If you would like to participate in next year’s Fun Run and raise funds for All Aboard please contact Evelyn at head office on
020 8381 1717.
Save The Planet
Landfill discussions don’t happen often, but All Aboard’s CEO Alan Haynes and Marketing and Collections Manager Evelyn Andresier gave 12 Langdon Brady members a wake-up call about the environment during a “Sortathon” workshop at their club in Edgware. It was part of the Yoni Jesner volunteering award and the volunteers helped to sort over 30 bags of donations into different categories while Alan told them charities kept 330,000 tonnes of textiles out of landfill and saved the council £27m in landfill tax, which then reduced CO2 emissions by around 6.9m tonnes (as of Sep 2016).
“This is vitally important to the protection of our planet,” said Alan. “Stock generation from the community enables us to raise vital funds for the charities we support.” As a nice touch the Brady members were given All Aboard goody bags at the end of the evening.
The Bra Facts
While people living in western society tend to have easy access to underwear and take it for granted, in many remote or poorer parts of Africa, it is seen as a luxury item that many people just can’t afford. It is also seen as a status symbol for a woman in that part of the world to wear underwear, especially bras.
All Aboard separates bras from their usual textile donations as they are paid a premium for these items, and their
recycler then sorts and bales them and sends them off to the African market. This gives the opportunity for women in that part of the world to be able to afford a bra.
THE CUTTING EDGE IN EAST FINCHLEY
The Beatles’ hair changed the world, much to the horror of sixties parents and the man responsible for their styling now manages All Aboard’s East Finchley branch. Hairdresser Leslie Cavendish sorted out the mop tops of John, George, Paul and Ringo along with a host of other stars in music and entertainment and now he has written a book: The Cutting Edge: The Story of the Beatles’ Hairdresser Who Defined an Era. Pop in and see him at the branch to buy or drop off any clothing, bric-a-brac etc and remember All Aboard collect from homes by appointment six days a week. Just don’t expect a haircut.
Corporate donations
Apart from the many marvellous
donations that All Aboard receive from the local community. An area that All Aboard are trying to expand in is Corporate Donations, especially corporate clothing donations. They have a few very loyal corporate donors, manufactures and shops who donate clothing, accessories, end of lines etc regularly to the charity which they can then sell in their shops. An advantage of having a Warehouse means they can now take larger
corporate donations which wasn’t possible before.
If you feel you can help them or have something you think they would be able to benefit from, then please contact Evelyn Andresier at Head Office.
Drop Off
You can drop goods off at any of the 18 All Aboard shops and at the Warehouse in Watford:
Stella Lucas House,
Unit 10,
Colne Way Court,
Colne Way,
Watford, WD24 7NE
DONATIONS
All Aboard is very grateful for all donations of clothing, books, household goods and bric-a-brac. The charity collects from homes by appointment six days a week.
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